The Rose Dress
by lickitysplit
Summary: Meliodas had promised Elizabeth they would be together, but when he leaves Liones without her, she is left to try and figure out who she is without him. Oneshot and gift fic for TheGreatLlamaFish


**Summary:** Meliodas had promised Elizabeth they would be together, but when he leaves Liones without her, she is left to try and figure out who she is without him.

 **A/N:** Yup, another oneshot, and another one that is all the doing of TheGreatLlamaFish. Did you know she is an incredible artist? She showed me a picture that she was "maybe" going to post "one day", and it was so beautiful I immediately started seeing visions of stories around that picture. After four solid hours of writing and neglecting my other fics, I ended up with this oneshot that I am happy to dedicate to such an inspirational artist. Thank you for sharing your gifts with me and allowing me to once again publish something inspired by you! Please check out her Tumblr for all of her other wonderful work!

* * *

Elizabeth giggled to herself, her feet slapping on the stone walkways through the city as she hurried as fast as she could to the gates. Her father had said that the Seven Deadly Sins were leaving, but she knew he wouldn't go. She knew he would take her along, as he did before. She was his top waitress, after all.

Which is why when she reached the hill on which the Boar Hat tavern had sat for the past two weeks, her heart nearly stopped to see it empty.

"Sir Meliodas?" she squeaked out, her hand going to her mouth. A breeze blew by, ruffling the long dress she wore and lifting the edges of her silver hair. The ground was perfectly smooth, and only the circle of dirt where Hawk Mama had dug up the grass gave any clue that they had been there at all.

"But he promised," she said to no one, as one single tear slid down her cheek.

* * *

The princess' melancholy had taken a toll on her family. "Really, Elizabeth, you must learn to get over this," Margaret chastised her gently. She raised her eyes to her older sister's face, finding the girl looking at her sadly. "Perhaps he didn't know? It may have been unintentional." With that decided, Margaret lifted her teacup.

Elizabeth's shoulders slumped a bit. She was back to this, this _life_ , although she was no longer sure it even was a life anymore. She looked down at her own teacup and thought of the glasses and mugs at the Boar Hat. She could still feel the weight of the tray on her arms and the sway of the giant boar as they traveled from one town to the next. She could hear the laughter and calls and smell the onions cooking and see the bright glow of the lanterns when they were turned all the way up. She remembered the sticky spot on the floor that Hawk complained about until Ban jokingly sprayed him down with some foam from a well-shaken bottle of ale. She smiled to herself to think of the early afternoons, before the service, when she and Diane or Gowther would sit together, chatting as they folded napkins. She remembered the bed upstairs, the rustle of the fabric that was simpler than the lush sheets of the palace, the brush of rope on her bare arm when she rolled over.

But all that was gone, replaced by ruffled dresses and this endless tea. Margaret had gone back to speaking, and Elizabeth quickly took a sip from her drink to cover up her daydreaming. "This will be a good opportunity for you, Elizabeth. After all, the kingdom will be entering a new golden age, I just know it, _despite_ father's warnings."

"What?" she asked rather stupidly, and blushed when Margaret's eyes fell on her disapprovingly.

"I was talking about finding you a suitor, you goose. It will do you good to see some young men of your own age and station."

"A suitor!" Elizabeth nearly spilled her tea in surprise. "Why on earth would I want _that_?"

Margaret frowned. "Elizabeth, you are the third princess of Liones. You'll need to settle down eventually. You had a bit of fun, and now that you are back—"

"Bit of fun?" Elizabeth interrupted, and then both girls blushed a bit at her rudeness. "I'm sorry," she stammered a moment later, "but I don't consider fighting Holy Knights and demons as _fun_."

"Yes, but it all worked out in the end!" dismissed the princess with a wave of her hand. "It's time we all get back to our normal lives, don't you agree?"

Elizabeth looked down again at the brown liquid in her cup. "I don't want to," she confessed.

"Elizabeth—"

"I don't _want_ to!" she insisted even louder. Her blue eyes were set in determination, even as she felt the heat on her neck. "I want to live my _own_ life. I'm not going to just stay here until I'm married off somewhere. I want…" Suddenly flustered, Elizabeth heaved a deep breath before continuing, "He promised me. That we would run the tavern together, when it was all over."

The two sisters stared at one another, Elizabeth looking for understanding, and Margaret gazing back with an unreadable expression. Several moments of heavy silence ticked by before Margaret finally said, "Did he? And where is he now?"

She couldn't take the knowing look on her sister's face, but the pity was even _worse_. "He's gone," Elizabeth whispered. "He left without me."

Margaret nodded and began her prattling, but Elizabeth did not even pretend to listen this time. Instead, she lifted her spoon and began stirring her tea, trying to remember the sound of the glasses tinkling together behind the bar.

* * *

If having an adventure had not already convinced her, being accosted on all sides by princes and noblemen did the trick: Elizabeth did not want to stay in Liones. In fact, she was ready to leave this very night, her frustration with her family and her place in the world bubbling over like a steaming cauldron.

At the same time, Elizabeth felt terribly guilty. Her father and her sisters loved her, and she loved them too; it had been heartache to be away from them for so long, heartache that was only soothed by knowing she was doing what she must for the kingdom. Heartache that was soothed by _him_. She had had a place in the world, then. A mission, a job to do, a discovery to make. There was an enemy and a plan and a way to fix things, if she were only brave enough and clever enough to follow through.

But dancing with princes did not require strength; sipping wine and listening to boasts did not make her a hero. A million girls would trade their place with her, she knew, and the irony of it all is that she would be willing to if asked.

It was a celebration of the success of Liones, to mark the one-month anniversary of the defeat of Hendrickson. Elizabeth felt it was rather idiotic, and could tell her sisters did the same, but other than some under-the-breath grumbling on Veronica's part, none of them dared to speak up to the king. It was not as lavish as one would expect from an affair at Liones, but with all things considered, Baltra had done what he could. There was something to be said about having such luxuries when half of Liones was still rebuilding; yet again, no one was particularly fond of the idea of questioning the king's actions.

The only bright spot in the entirely uncomfortable affair was the dress Elizabeth wore. Margaret had picked out a rather demure and ridiculously ruffled affair that made Elizabeth scrunch up her nose. After months of dressing very adult-like in the tavern uniform, returning to the ribbons and pastels and frills had seemed so boring. She felt as though it was a sign of growing up, setting aside those things the Princess Elizabeth would have exclaimed over in delight. _Apostle_ Elizabeth, waitress Elizabeth, savior-of-Liones and companion-of-the-Seven-Deadly-Sins Elizabeth was above such things.

So this Elizabeth had picked out a dress in a deep rose color that faded to a soft shade of pink as the fabric reached the floor. It flowed around her body beautifully, the taffeta making waves that nearly sparkled as she walked, or on the rare occasion, danced. Yet Margaret had clucked her tongue at the dangerously plunging neckline, declaring it unfit for a princess.

But Elizabeth wasn't just a princess anymore, was she?

* * *

Bold and regal and sophisticated Elizabeth was desperate to escape the party, slipping away just before midnight to find some quiet solace in a dark hallway. Bracing her back against the wall, she sagged just a bit, one hand raised to brush her bangs to the side. "I should go," she whispered to no one. "I don't belong here."

But where? To one of the towns she had visited? For a moment Elizabeth imagined it: finding a job as a waitress, renting a room, living in disguise. She could change her name to Hannah or Susan. Feeling a bit heartened, her mouth curled up in a little smile. Elizabeth could learn how to cook for herself, and she already knew how to wash clothes and shop in the markets. It wouldn't be too terribly difficult for a girl on her own, would it? All she needed were a few friendly neighbors and a place to stay and work. She could even listen for news of the Sins… maybe even see the roof of the Boar Hat arrive outside of town one day!

Elizabeth sighed to herself. What would they do if she came as a customer? What would _he_ do? Suddenly her face flushed, not in anger, but in deep embarrassment. She saw him frown at her and turn away. He did not want her there. Why else would he break such a promise?

Briefly she closed her eyes, her mouth pulling down sadly.

"Your Highness?"

Elizabeth started a bit at the familiar voice. She glanced over to see Holy Knight Guila walking towards her, wearing her armor. The princess stood up a bit straighter, the hairs on the back of her neck even standing up a bit. "Yes?" she answered shakily.

There was a moment that passed between them, a moment in which the princess looked curiously at the girl in front of her, a girl her own age. A girl who also left her family to fight for her kingdom. A girl who had made hard choices for what she thought was right. A girl Elizabeth had watched hurt the ones she loved, before being released from her insanity.

All at once she was not afraid, and Elizabeth waited. "Is everything all right?" she finally asked.

Guila nodded, clearing her throat. "Yes, I just saw you here and I thought you might be? Ill or?" The words came out like questions, and the knight cleared her throat again. Then she began speaking in a rush, so that Elizabeth had to scramble to keep up. "I needed to apologize for my behavior towards you and the others, particularly at Vaizel, and I hope that you can forgive me for what I did to—"

"Oh!" The knight snapped her mouth shut, and Elizabeth quickly shook her head. "No, Lady Guila. There is no need to apologize. You were doing what you thought was right, even though it was… a bit misguided."

There was a tinge to the girl's cheeks as she looked away from the princess. "Well then," stammered Guila, "thank you." There was another moment of strange silence, and then she said, "I will be leaving tomorrow to join the king's brother in Zeldon. I will be helping the Pleiades strengthen the border now that we are growing to full strength."

Elizabeth nodded, not sure of what to say, when Guila went on, "If we run into the Sins as we travel, shall I deliver a message for you?"

Stunned, the princess froze. Her hand pressed against the wall to steady herself. "I… I…" Her mind whirled furiously as she tried to think of what to say.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have imposed—" Guila began, just as Elizabeth stammered, "No, no, I'm just being silly, I—"

But both girls were immediately cut off by a Holy Knight running down the hallway. "Princess Elizabeth! Princess Elizabeth!" he cried.

"Yes?" she called out, stepping forward, and Guila moved to stand a bit ahead in a defensive position.

The knight pulled up short when he reached them. "Your father wants you in the hall immediately."

Elizabeth nodded and bid a farewell to Guila, hurrying after the knight as he escorted her. Part of her was upset that she had not had the wits to give her a message; but another part, a deep down dark part, was relieved.

She had expected a scolding when she arrived from her father for skipping out, as brief as her little escape was, but the room was somber when she entered. Quickly she slid up next to Margaret and whispered, "What's happening?"

"Father has an announcement," she hissed back, shushing her.

"Ladies and gentleman," the king said with a dark tone, "it is my duty to inform you, with a heavy heart, that Camelot has suffered an attack."

The crowd gasped and began to murmur, a few of the dignitaries from the neighboring kingdom immediately moving through the crowd.

"There is much to be done," continued Baltra. "Camelot is half destroyed, its people are hurt and suffering. We will organize aid as soon as possible."

"What of the threat, Sire?" someone called out.

"It was a demon," he replied, and the room went deadly silent. "Luckily, however, the Seven Deadly Sins arrived in time to save King Arthur's life and put an end to the vile creature."

Everyone began murmuring at once, except Elizabeth. She felt her heart seize in her chest, the pain a piercing stab straight through her body. She should have been there, fighting alongside of them! What if they were hurt? What if _he_ was hurt? Elizabeth could hardly breathe, imagining her friends battling such a threat.

"There is more," Baltra announced. "With the arrival of the demon, our worst fears have been realized. The seal on the demon realm has been breached. At this moment, the Ten Commandments are in Britannia."

The crowd went into a fury, people rushing about, some screaming, some calling out, the king instantly surrounded by his guards and advisors. "Elizabeth!" Margaret sobbed, clutching her arm tightly. "Gilthunder is out there! What if he is hurt? What if they—what if—"

But she could not offer her sister any solace, for she had a knight of her own somewhere in the world. A world that now included the demon clan.

* * *

Liones was in despair. The people had flooded the city as the Ten Commandments made their way through Britannia, and refugees from Camelot and other nearby kingdoms also arrived looking for food, shelter, medicine, and protection.

The reports from all over were devastating. The souls of the humans were being taken by the demons, who would use the energy to release gray and red horrors on the world. Entire towns would be wiped out in a matter of a day, their magic leaving nothing but destruction. Baltra had called on the citizens to flee the areas affected, but many chose to stay and fight in vain. They had not seen the sheer power that the demon clan possessed. Only those who had fought Hendrickson knew the truth of what they could do.

"It's my fault," Elizabeth murmured to herself when the wounded would arrive. The rivers of blood reminded her of her own, the blood that Hendrickson had wanted so badly he gave his life for it. She and her sisters took the lead in helping those that came with nothing, and Elizabeth worked for hours to heal their wounds as she developed her completely untrained abilities.

"This is because of me," she accused her reflection, combing her hair up into a braid before heading back to work. Day after day the princess faded from memory, and the Elizabeth who had stood against the Holy Knights reemerged to the awe of the people. Even Margaret and Veronica, who were older, wiser, and more bold than she had ever hoped to be, deferred to her judgment by the end of the first week.

"My blood caused this," she repeated in her head as droves of knights came in and out of the castle. Wagons of weapons and supplies left, squads of soldiers and Holy Knights would head out to never be seen again. Another week went by, then another, with no good word arriving to give hope. The Ten Commandments were approaching Liones slowly and methodically. What was once a possibility was now a matter of time.

But then, hope arrived. The cries went up in the streets, and the word reached the castle that the Holy Knights had returned. "It's Sir Gilthunder! Sir Howzer and Sir Griamore!" shouted the people. "And with them are the Seven Deadly Sins! We are saved!"

In a moment all three girls were running, pushing past everyone to see for themselves. Margaret practically launched herself at Gilthunder, screaming as he caught her. They both sank to the ground in a mess of sobbing and hugging. Veronica also made a beeline for Griamore, grabbing him around the waist and holding him without speaking, before turning and doing the same to a very brightly colored Howzer.

But Elizabeth came to a stop to see it was not the Seven Deadly Sins that arrived: it was only one Sin that she knew, a very grim-looking and dirtied Ban, followed by a man she did not recognize cowering behind him. Yet she would not let her disappointment show, and got her legs moving again, forcing herself to grin wildly. "Sir Ban!" she cried, now hurrying forward and taking his hands. "I'm so happy to see you!"

He nodded but looked away quickly, and Elizabeth gazed at the other. "Please allow me to introduce myself," she said kindly. "I am Elizabeth, the third princess of Liones."

"P-p-princess!" he stammered. It looked as though he could not decide whether to bow or kneel, so he did some funny movements that ended with him stumbling into Ban.

"Watch it Escanor," Ban growled, and Elizabeth's eyes lit up.

"Sir Escanor? The Lion Sin of Pride?" She could hardly believe it as the man straightened the glasses sitting on his nose, but when he nodded she clapped her hands. "You are very welcome! The Seven Deadly Sins are the heroes of Liones!"

Elizabeth looked around then, and her curiosity got the better of her. "And the others, are they well? Sir King and Diane, and Sir Gowther? Lady Merlin?" The two Sins exchanged a glance, and trying not to sound too eager she went on, "And—and Sir Meliodas? Where is he?"

There was a pause, a delicious moment where Elizabeth anticipated some delightful surprise. Perhaps he was following behind, scolding Hawk over something as Hawk Mama took her usual place outside the castle walls. Or maybe he would spring up behind her, or from under Escanor's coat, shouting his arrival to make her squeal in delight. Or maybe he was fighting, delivering them from the Ten Commandments, and Ban had come to give them the news that the war was nearly over, thanks to the bravery and skill of the Captain.

But when Ban looked at her, she knew. "Princess—" he choked out.

"It's all my fault," she whispered before falling to her knees. Princess Elizabeth began to cry, the first tears since his departure slipping down her cheeks.

* * *

"I should have left when I could," she whispered as she sat in the closet of her room, unable to sleep from the visions of the wounded and hungry, the sight of Ban's hollowed eyes, the terse way her father spoke now. And always there, hanging over her like a shadow was the knowledge that _he_ was gone, that his body was somewhere cold and broken; that there would be no more smiles or pinches, no more drinks to serve, no more promises to break. There had been hope, before, when he was out there in the world.

What was the use of healing magic, when you could not be there to heal the one most important?

She looked up and spied the rose-colored dress. Scooting forward, she sat on her legs and slid her fingers over the fabric. There were no celebrations anymore without anything to celebrate. She remembered then meeting Guila in the hallway, and the question she had been asked. What is the message she would have given?

Would it have reached him in time?

Elizabeth's face burned, and she buried it against the dress. "Please come back for me," she moaned, her voice muffled against the fabric. "That is what I wanted to tell you. Come back and take me with you, because I can't live without you." One deep breath after another filled her lungs as the princess tried to remember, tried to hold onto that part of herself that felt so very long ago. The top waitress of the Boar Hat would not panic in a closet. The top waitress had stood up to Holy Knights, had saved her love, had traveled and healed and _laughed_. She would take all of this misery and danger if she could have _him_ as well; she could handle the hopelessness if she could be who she was then, instead of now.

* * *

Elizabeth strapped a sword to her hips, her fingers clumsy on the unfamiliar buckles. "I don't care _what_ you say," she shouted at the king. "I can't stay here and watch these people die!"

"You are a princess and my daughter and you will stay _put_!" he raged at her, but Elizabeth whirled on him with such fire he drew back.

"That… _thing_ down there," she hissed, "is killing our people. The only knights we have left are in danger of dying, right now, as we speak. I will not wait here for him to come and take us too. I will meet the demon who—"

She choked a bit, the words so bitter that searing bile threatened the back of her throat. "I will meet the demon who killed Sir Meliodas," she hissed. "I will do that much for him."

"Elizabeth!"

She ignored the scream that followed her, walking quickly through the hallways towards her doom. They had tried their very best, but it was all futile in the end. The Ten Commandments had arrived and were taking the city. The greatest Holy Knights in the land were downstairs fighting with everything they had, but they were no match for the demons. As she had watched her uncle fall, the goddess he called upon failing to do what she was called to do, Elizabeth had decided she would die with a sword in her hand.

An explosion rocked the castle, and the princess shouted and grabbed the wall for support as stone fell from above. She looked out the window to see the one who had killed Meliodas sent flying, an unbelievably changed Escanor following behind. Elizabeth narrowed her eyes and continued her descent towards the battle. Perhaps if she could not take _him_ out, another demon would do just fine.

"I wish you were with me," she whispered.

The scene at the bottom of the stairs was chaos. Soldiers lay hurt and dying, the castle crumbling, and a demon faced Grand Master Dreyfus in the courtyard. Elizabeth froze, frightened for the first time, watching as Dreyfus pushed him back. The rest of the knights safely hovered above them, in Merlin's Perfect Cube.

Her eyes darted around, trying to figure out what to do, how to _help_ , when another demon arrived. It was the one who had taken out her uncle, and Elizabeth drew her sword. She may not get revenge for Meliodas, but she would get it for her family.

The wild woman caught sight of her, but to Elizabeth's surprise, she stopped in her tracks. " _You_ ," she spit out venomously. Slowly she approached, and the princess held up her sword; but one swipe of the demon's hand had the weapon flying from her grip and clattering on the floor. Elizabeth cried out as she watched it skid over the rocks, whirling back towards the advancing threat.

A split second later they were face-to-face. The demon looked at her with a mix of incredulity and malice, her eyes tracing over her. "What the hell are you doing here?" she growled.

"You—you are mistaken—" Elizabeth stuttered, feeling foolish as all her bravery seemed to melt away.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Dreyfus spot them, turning and crying, "Princess Elizabeth!" He sprang forward, and the demon facing Elizabeth reached out a hand, throwing her magic in a punch that knocked him into the ground. With a feral snarl she turned, raising her arm to send another, when the princess remembered who she was.

Something she could not explain surged through her, and as if working on instinct alone she raised her arms. A sudden light burst from her hands, which stopped everyone in their tracks; she thought of the missing tavern, the girl she was and wanted to be and had become, the blood of the innocent, the blood of the goddesses, the rose dress that hung in her closet to never be worn again, because there was no more hope in the world. The magic flew from her as she cried, "How can you _do_ this?! How can you take another life so callously? With such _indifference_?"

The light became blinding for just a moment, and when Elizabeth blinked her vision clear, the demon's hand was _gone_.

"I knew it," screamed the demon. "I fucking _knew it was you_."

Her other fist raised threateningly, and Elizabeth stumbled backwards. "No—no—" But this is what she wanted, wasn't it? To fight the demons alongside her friends, to give her life if necessary to bring peace to the kingdom. She raised her arms reflexively, waiting to feel the pain that would end her life.

But there was no pain, just arms. Strong, steady arms, warm and full of strength, full of _life_. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Elizabeth," he chuckled.

It was hearing her name that was her undoing, and there was so much to feel all at once that the tears began to flow again, in a river uncontrolled.


End file.
